Predicting the Top 25 Most Sought-After NBA Jerseys in 2012-13

Hey fans! Can't decide what NBA jersey you want to add to your collection? Worried about missing out on a hot new jersey trend like Linsanity from last year? Look no further—these 25 jerseys are sure to be at the top of the 2012-13 sales list.

This is the last season for NBA fans to purchase these fan favorites before the league plasters on advertisements next season (and check out my article here on why fans should begin boycotting jersey sales next year) so get your original, untainted Kevin Durant jersey while you still can! Starting next year, those Kobe Bryant jerseys at the Staples Center arena store could be sprouting large Farmers Insurance patches!

In the 2011-12 season, it was Chicago Bulls point guard and 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose who topped the jersey list. The top 15 can be seen here (and in case you’re wondering, Jeremy Lin was No. 2). Who will top the jersey sales list this season? Let’s take a look at my early predictions.

23. Pau Gasol

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Gasol might be fading, but his team isn’t (the Lakers should contend for the West’s top spot) and he’s still one of the best known international players. Gasol was No. 11 in international sales last season according to nba.com, and he’s probably got another year or two on this list.

If it was his younger brother Marc on the Lakers, though, Marc would probably be higher—but he’s in the much smaller Memphis market.

19. Jeremy Lin

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Thanks to Linsanity last season, Jeremy Lin’s jersey was the second most purchased on the market.. So why the big drop? The Knicks decided not to retain Lin and he signed with Houston, which is a large market but nowhere near the size of New York.

I also highly doubt Lin will ever be able to return to the level he was at during his peak last season, so eventually his luster will fade.

17. Kyrie Irving

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The Cleveland Cavaliers got a star when they selected Kyrie Irving with the top pick in the 2011 draft. He may not have a ton of promising teammates quite yet, but he’s already got enough star power to carry the Cavaliers.

With his inside/outside game and an excellent feel for the point guard position, he’s a very entertaining player to watch and a sure-fire future All-Star. Cleveland fans need someone to get excited about, and Irving is that guy.

16. Russell Westbrook

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I was surprised to see Westbrook had not made the top 15 jersey sales from last season. Sure, he plays in a smaller market and is in Kevin Durant’s shadow, but he’s still an incredibly entertaining player and throws down some vicious dunks.

The Thunder is still the team to beat in the West, and they’ll get plenty of attention this year. While he may not crack the top 15, expect a good number of Westbrook jerseys to ship out.

15. Rajon Rondo

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No longer is Rondo in the shadow of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce—he is now clearly the Celtics' best player. Whether that is a good thing for Boston fans remains to be seen.

He’s an incredibly unique player and possesses some very polarizing skills. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a top five point guard or doesn’t belong in the conversation. One thing is for sure, though—he sells jerseys. Last year he was No. 10 in the league.

14. Ricky Rubio

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Rubio was off to a great start to his NBA career before he tore his ACL midseason. If he can return completely healthy, he’s one of the most exciting players to watch, thanks to his incredible passing skills.

13. Derrick Rose

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Rose was at the top of jersey sales last season after his 2010-11 MVP award, but he’ll be out until at least March with a knee injury, according to a Chicago Tribune report. The Bulls may struggle without him, but that would only showcase just how important Rose is to the squad.

Hopefully he comes back completely healthy in March and gets the Bulls right back on track. If they do, expect Rose jerseys to be the hottest commodity towards the end of the season. If he can return 100 percent back to form, he's one of the 10 best players in the league, no questions asked.

If he and No. 6 on this list can get the Clippers into a higher gear and shifted from pretender to contender, he could be the top point guard jersey seller easily. It’s hard not to expect big things from a top five player in the league, especially when he’s in Los Angeles (even if it is with the Clippers).

9. Dirk Nowitzki

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The German superstar has a few more years of life in him, even if the Mavericks championship window is closed.

He’s got a solid team around him, but four potential starters—Darren Collison, OJ Mayo, Elton Brand and Chris Kaman—are in their first years with Dallas. It’ll be interesting to see how the Mavericks do this season.

8. Deron Williams

This may seem high for Deron Williams, who had a bit of a down year last season stats wise. He wasn't in the top 15 jersey sales from last season either, but I’m betting he gets a big Brooklyn bump.

The Nets move from New Jersey to Brooklyn wasn’t huge in terms of distance, but the new black and white jerseys will require all old (and new) fans get an updated Nets uniform. No one on the Nets squad has half the star power that Williams has.

5. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard joins the Lakers and their long history of legendary big men. From Wilt to Kareem to Shaquille O’Neal, the Los Angeles center legacy is a big one for Dwight to live up to.

Of course, being in Los Angeles has its advantages, too. One of those is a rabid fan base eager to accept their new superstar.

He’s the league’s top center and has relocated to a championship contender—while he may not be the most popular face around the league, he’s going to sell a vast number of jerseys. He was No. 14 in sales last season, but will see a huge increase thanks to this new market.

4. Carmelo Anthony

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Anthony was No. 5 in sales last year and is a lock to be a top five this year. With Lin gone, he’s back to being the face of the Knicks, and his performance will determine just how far New York can go.

It doesn’t matter how inconsistent he is defensively—thanks to his lights-out scoring ability, he’ll be one of the most hyped players in the most hyped market in the league. He's also coming off an excellent Olympic run where he was among the top three on Team USA.

If he and the Knicks can somehow transition from being a “good” team to being a “great team” (I doubt it, unless Anthony becomes as good a defender as he is a scorer) then he has the potential to rise to No.1 on the list.